Rail-joint.



E. J. SLUSSER.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLIOATION FILED mums, 1913.

1,061,333, Patented May 13, 1913.

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UTT STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN J. SLUSSER, OF FREELAND, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWIN J. SLUSSER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Freeland, in the county ofLuzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Bad- Joints, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in rail joints, and moreparticularly to that class of joints in which interlocking engagement isformed between the meeting ends of a pair of rails, without the use ofbelts or other fastening means.

An object of this invention is the provision of a rail joint of thischaracter, in which the meeting ends of a pair of rails are lockedtogether without increasing the width of the web of either rail, wherebythe joint chair which holds the rails in interlocking engagement may bethe same width for its entire length.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a rail joint inwhich one of the rail ends is provided with a reduced tread and baseflange, the extremity of the tread and base flange being formed with anenlarged head, and the other rail end having its web cut away to form arecess to receive the web of the first rail, and also having a slotformed in its tread and base flange to receive the reduced tread andbase flange of the first rail.

WVith these and other objects in View, my invention consists in certainnovel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, to behereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of my1nvention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, partly in section; Fig. 3is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sideelevation of one end of one of the rails.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the letters A and Bdesignate the meeting ends of a pair of rails, and C, a joint chair forholding the rails in interlocking engagement with each other. Each ofthe rails A and B is formed with the usual tread 1, web 2 and baseflange 3, the rail A being formed at its end with a reduced treadportion 4 and base flange 5. The reduced portions of the tread and thebase flange are of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 26, 1913.

Patented May 13, 1913.

Serial No. 750,901.

the same thickness as the web 2 of the rail, and the extremities ofthese portions are formed with enlarged heads 6 and 7.

The tread portion 1 and the base flange 3 of the rail B project beyondthe web 2 there of as at 8 and 9 respectively, to a distancesubstantially the length of the reduced portions of the tread and baseflange of the rail A, thereby forming a recess 10 to receive theextremity of the web 2 of the rail A. The projecting portion 8 of thetread of the rail B is formed with a longitudinally extending slot 11,the inner end of which is enlarged as at 12, and the projecting portion9 of the base flange is also formed with a similar slot 13 which isenlarged at its inner end as at 14. From the drawing, it will be seenthat when the rails are connected, the enlarged portions 6 and 7 of therail A engage in the enlarged inner ends of the slots in the rail B,thereby forming a firm locking engagement between the rails. When therails are connected together, the chair C which comprises a rectangularplate 15 having its opposite longitudinal edges bent as at 16, toconform to the shape of the rail, will engage over the meeting endsofthe rails to securely hold them in interlocking engagement with eachother. The upstanding portions 16 of the rail chair are formed withenlargements 17 on their inner faces at their upper extremity, theportions 17 of the chair being adapted to bear against the webs of therails A. and B, for the entire length of the chair.

In the practical use of my device, when it is desired to connect therails, the opposed end of the rail A is raised slightly from the ground,so that the extremity of the web 2 below the enlargement 6 of the treadportion of the rail may be slidably engaged in the slot 11 of the treadportion of the rail B, whereupon the rail A is moved in the slot 11until the enlarged portions 6 and 7 thereof are arranged in verticalalinement with the enlarged portions 12 and 14 of the slots, and the endof the rail A is then lowered so that the enlarged portions 6 and 7engage in the enlarged inner ends of the slots 11 and 13 to lock therails together. When the chair C is arranged to engage the meeting endsof the rails, it will be seen that the rails are held in interlocking engagement with each other Without the use of bolts or any other fasteningdevices of this character.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I desire to claim andsecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rail joint comprising the meeting ends of a pair of rails, one ofsaid rail ends having a reduced tread and a reduced base flange, theother rail end having its tread and base flange projecting beyond theweb portion thereof a distance substantially the length of the reducedportions of the tread and base flange of the first rail, means formed onthe treads and base flanges of the rails for locking the rails together,and means for holding said rails in interlocking engagement with eachother, as and for the purpose described.

2. A rail joint comprising the meeting ends of a pair of rails, one ofsaid rails being formed with a reduced tread and a reduced base flange,the extremities of the reduced portions of said tread and base flangebeing formed with enlarged heads,

the other rail end having its tread and rail flange projecting beyondthe web thereof, means whereby the enlarged portions of the tread andbase flange of the first rail may be interlockingly engaged with theprojecting portions of the tread and base flange of the second rail, andmeans for holding said rails in interlocking engagement with each other,as and for the purpose described.

3. In a joint chair, a rail having a reduced tread and a reduced baseflange at one end thereof, the extremities of the reduced portions ofsaid tread and base flange being formed with enlarged heads, a secondrail having its tread and base flange projecting beyond the web portionthereof, the projecting portions of said tread and base flange beingformed with slots, the slots in said tread and base flange of the secondrail being enlarged at their inner ends, to receive the enlarged headsof the reduced portions of the tread and base flange of the first rail,and means for holding said rails in interlocking engagement with eachother.

a. A rail joint comprising the meeting ends of a pair of rails, one ofsaid rails having a reduced tread and a reduced base flange, the otherrail having its tread and base flange projecting beyond the web portionthereof, the projecting portions of thelast mentioned rail being formedwith slots to receive the reduced tread and reduced base flange of thefirst mentioned rail, as and for the purpose described.

5. In a joint chair, a rail having a reduced tread and a reduced baseflange at one end thereof, the reduced portions of said tread and baseflange being of a width substantially the width of the web of the rail,the extremities of the reduced portions of said tread and base flangebeing formed with enlarged heads, a second rail having its tread andbase flange projecting beyond the web portion thereof, theprojectingportions of said tread and base flange of the second railbeing formed with slots of substantially the same width as the width ofthe web of said rail, the slots in said tread and base flange of thesecond rail being enlarged at their inner ends to receive the enlargedheads of the reduced portions of the tread and base flange of the firstrail, and means for holding said rails in interlocking engagement witheach other, as and for the purpose described. I

In testimony whereof I hereunto afflx my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

EDWIN J. SLUSSER.

W'itnesses S. E. OVERRENDER, J. H. TREVASKIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

